[Change the Election]⑦ Jo Hae-jin "No Future Without Political Reform"

Need to Build Public Consensus on the Harms of Winner-Takes-All System
Continued Ruling and Opposition Conflict Hampers Political Reform Committee Discussions
"Everyone Should Participate to Reach Consensus... Indifference Is the Worst"

"We must share the urgency of political reform with the public and recognize that this is the last chance."

Jo Hae-jin, a member of the People Power Party and chair of the Subcommittee on Political Relations Law Improvement under the National Assembly's Special Committee on Political Reform, recently stated in an interview with Asia Economy, "If we do not carry out political reform, there will be no hope for our politics and no future for the country."

Chairman Jo emphasized, "While it feels like the last opportunity, there are unprecedented favorable conditions." He said, "The President and the Speaker of the National Assembly have publicly expressed their opinions," adding, "For the first time in history, a bipartisan group within the National Assembly has formed, with nearly half of all members united." President Yoon Suk-yeol proposed the necessity of introducing a large multi-member district system in an interview earlier this year, and Speaker Kim Jin-pyo responded positively. The bipartisan political reform group has seen participation from 142 lawmakers as of the 24th.

People Power Party lawmaker Cho Hae-jin is discussing election system reform issues in his office at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

The legal deadline for redrawing electoral districts for next year's general election is April 10. The Special Committee on Political Reform must conclude its discussions within just over a month. Recently, Speaker Kim submitted three electoral reform proposals to the committee, each aiming to double the number of proportional representation seats in the National Assembly. This is interpreted as a determination to finalize the reform by April through a plenary session of the committee in March. The three proposals from the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Constitutional Amendment and Political System Improvement include: a small single-member district system combined with a parallel representation system, a small single-member district system combined with a semi-linked proportional representation system, and a mixed urban-rural large multi-member district system combined with a regional linked proportional representation system?all designed to enhance proportionality and representation.

Chairman Jo said, "If the public neither understands the system nor shares a consensus on the direction of political reform, and yet the number of seats is increased, the initial public opinion will naturally be negative." However, he added, "Conversely, if the majority of the public agrees that there are problems with the current electoral system and that wasted votes must be eliminated or minimized, then the reform could be viewed positively."

He stated, "If the public agrees that individual sovereignty is equal and that vote equality and proportionality must be realized, the realistic alternative involves expanding proportional seats," adding, "It should be done by increasing the total number of seats rather than eliminating district representatives." However, as the subcommittee chair, he refrained from discussing specific plans.

Chairman Jo expressed regret over the slow progress of the Special Committee on Political Reform, citing difficulties in forming consensus within the National Assembly due to the ruling party's party convention and the opposition party's ongoing prosecution investigation of Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, which have led to continued partisan conflicts. He said, "Since this requires 100% agreement, mutual respect, consideration, occasional concessions, and compromise of differences and interests are necessary, which means the ruling and opposition parties must truly cooperate." He added, "However, with ongoing protests outside the Assembly and confrontations inside, the deepening conflict becomes a major obstacle." He also noted, "Even if the ruling party intends to discuss electoral reform following the inauguration of new leadership, meaningful discussions must begin within the party from now on."

On the 23rd, at the Subcommittee on Political Relations Law Improvement of the Special Committee on Political Reform held at the National Assembly, Subcommittee Chairman Cho Hae-jin is greeting opposition party lawmakers. 2023.2.23 [Image source=Yonhap News]

With three terms as a member of the National Assembly and 15 years as a legislative aide, Chairman Jo has witnessed firsthand the problems caused by the winner-takes-all political system over nearly 30 years in politics. He said, "I have a sense of urgency that politics must change," explaining, "Because of the large number of wasted votes, political instability, dissatisfaction, and conflicts arise, resulting in a two-party dominance structure." He added, "Even within a two-party system, diverse voices should exist, and cooperation between the two parties should be possible depending on policies, but under the current electoral system, this is difficult."

Chairman Jo emphasized, "If we miss this opportunity, there will never be another. It is essential that everyone participates and reaches a consensus," adding, "The worst thing is indifference. Not expressing opinions and showing no interest is the worst."